Thierry Henry is FINALLY unveiled as France Under-21 head coach and admits he was ‘unfulfilled’ in his TV punditry work as he returns to the dugout but remains part of CBS’ Champions League coverage
- Thierry Henry has finally been unveiled as the new France U21 head coach
- The 46-year-old will still be part of NBC’s Champions League coverage
- Would Mohamed Salah ‘do the dirty’ on Liverpool by leaving? And what about Man United ‘diving’?: Listen to It’s All Kicking Off, Mail Sport’s new podcast
Thierry Henry has finally been unveiled as France’s new U21 head coach and has admitted the decision to take the role was prompted by him being left ‘unfulfilled’ in his role working as a pundit.
Since retiring from a glorious playing career nine years ago, the Arsenal legend has flip-flopped between gaining his managerial merits as a coach and becoming one of football’s best-loved television pundits.
Now, he has decided to refocus on excelling in the dugout and is being tasked with blossoming through the next generation of French talent – quite the job for a team that has made the last two World Cup finals and won one of them.
During his unveiling at the French FA’s headquarters on Tuesday, Henry explained that his desire to get back on the pitch outweighed his passion for being on screen.
The 46-year-old Frenchman, explained: ‘I was not fulfilled, I love the pitch and to help people learn and understand things.
Thierry Henry has finally been unveiled as France’s new U21 head coach as he returns to the dugout
Henry admitted he was left ‘unfulfilled’ in his roles working as a television pundit
‘You simply don’t refuse the French National team. I love working with young players and it was only a plus to add to my life.
‘I had a life and lived well – but I was missing a part of my life that thrilled me,’ he added.
He will remain in charge of the team until 2025 and will make his debut against Denmark on Sept. 7 before France take on Slovenia in the Euro qualifiers four days later.
Henry is a France legend is his own right after making 123 appearances, scoring 51 goals and winning the 1998 World Cup in Paris.
However, his return to coaching comes at a time when the nation’s previous star striker is seeking to rebuild from previous difficult managerial spells.
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Henry (second from left) will continue to work with NBC on their coverage of the Champions League but has dropped his commitments working with Amazon on Ligue 1
The nation’s second all-time top scorer previously coached Arsenal’s youth teams before taking the head role at Monaco and lasting just 20 games in the post.
He endured a similar spell in charge of Canadian professional outfit Montreal before eventually featuring in two different stints as assistant manager to Roberto Martinez with the Belgium national team.
Meanwhile, he has also gathered new support as a television presenter working on the Premier League, Champions League and other competitions around Europe.
However, Henry will continue to work with NBC on their coverage of the Champions League but has dropped his commitments working with Amazon on Ligue 1.
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